Page 157 of Rivals
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“Lachlan, I swear, you will rue the day if you change it now. It’sfine. And that’s being generous because this color scheme is questionable at best. It barely coordinates!”
“Revna, can you please let me do this? I have a vision in my mind, and I want to do it this way,” I grumble beside her.
“But it’s…kind of creepy. I feel like people are going to take it the wrong way, and we already have so much black. You need to add the pink so it’s consistent and flows well,” she whines.
I look at what I have so far. This piece was the part of me that was obsessive about Revna. When Ryan asked her out on a date, I saw her differently. I knew she needed to be mine, and I didn’t care what it would take. Granted, at that point, we were already working together. But I didn’t want another man in her life because I wanted to be that man. I’m not only protective of my little bird, but I’m also possessive of her body and her heart.
“Are you afraid of what people are going to say?” I ask her gently.
“We talked about this, Lach. Iknowpeople will talk, but it feels so dark next to where my bright, happy, and inspired Italy is supposed to go.“ I glance at her half-finished painting of our time in Italy. It has bright blues, greens, and even undertones of red with touches of pink. I smile at it because she told me she loved me there. That city will forever have a piece of me. She changed her mind and created ruins of our love, as she calls it, only it looks like it’s building itself.
“I hear you, love, but I think it’s a good thing. It’s honest. You aremine, and Iampossessive of you.”
“Yes, I’m yours, Lach, but—“ She cuts herself off and stares at my statues of us kissing.
“What?” She glances at me and stands to go to the painting.
“We have this all in the wrong order,” she says. I stand up to move out of the way.
“Then what’s the right order?” I ask. She’s already thinking through what she believes is the right order. I had an idea in my head based on our relationship, but as she shifts them, and I can see it how she does. Our story starts with Revna on one end and me on the other. It was a rough and angry start, or it was a passionate one, depending on who you ask. The order isn’t chronological at all, it’s emotional. It doesn’t end on either side because Revna and I won’t end. But you find us in the center.
“I know what we have to do for the centerpiece.” Revna looks up and smiles so wide it makes my heart trip over itself.
Chapter 93
Revna
Ithinkthismaybe the best work I’ve ever done in my career, or maybe that we have ever done in our collective careers. It’s unique and modern, yet is clearly inspired by the foundation of the High Renaissance, something we both love. It has touches of our individuality, but what makes it so great is that it looks like one person did it. The only reason I can tell who did what is because I know how we each paint. But to anyone who doesn’t know us or watch us do it, they wouldn’t be able to tell where I start and where he ends. We are one and the same. It’s better than I could have ever envisioned it.
The last competition is tomorrow, our final submission. Months and months of work will be over, just like that. We saved the last and easiest piece to work on together. Its bright yellows and pristine whites make it look like our hands are glowing. We reach for each other, like Adam does for God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Instead of never touching, Lachlan holds my hand in his like I’m the most precious thing he will ever have. Light looks like it is radiating from us on the canvas. I dab a little bit of black on his tattooed hand and glance at what he’s doing to mine. I tilt my head to see what he’s doing to my finger and almost drop my brush on the canvas.
“Lachlan, what are you putting on my finger?” I ask. My eyes feel like they are drying out because I think I forgot to blink. He smiles but keeps moving his brush, concentrating on the touch of gold leaf and a bit of blue. With the kaleidoscope of colors sitting on my finger, he flicks his brush with his wrist in gentle, quick movements and then sets it back on his palette.
“I’m surprised it took you this long to notice I deviated from our plan.”
“I was concentrating!” I say, taken back. He grabs my left hand with both of his and lifts it to his lips, kissing my ring finger. He looks at me intently and takes a breath.
“Revna, I may not be able to buy you a ring now or any time soon. So…I thought I would paint one instead. You are my forever muse. I love you more than anything else on this planet. I’d give it all up to see you happy. You understand what it is like to be who we are. You understand the fine line we toe every day to answer the calling within our souls. I’m not saying we should do this now, but there is no question in my mind I want you as my wife. I want to see my ring on your finger and a smile on your face because you know who you belong to. I want to paint, sculpt, and take pictures with you until I die of happiness. I’m not saying this is a proposal because I do want to get you a ring, but let’s call it a vision of sorts.”
My heart pounds a million miles a minute. I think I’m either going to pass out or have a heart attack. “Are…are you asking me to marry you?” I ask him.
He nods. “Yeah, I am. But I want to ask again when I have a literal ring to put on your finger. And I won’t be sitting next to you. I’ll be down on one knee.” I nod absently.
“But, you’re sure?” I ask him perplexed. He chuckles and tugs on my arm. I don’t have to wear the gauze anymore. The stitches came out a few days ago. I just wear large bandages and tape the edges. The skin is tender, but they don’t throb like they did before. He lifts each of my arms and kisses my bandaged scars.
“Yes, Revna. I have never been more sure of anything in my life.” He pauses and tilts his head to meet my eyes. “Are you not sure? If you’re not, that’s ok, love. I’ll wait as long as you want me to. You don’t have to say yes now.”
I shake my head, and his expression drops a little, but he manages to keep a small smile on his face. “No, no, I mean, I can’t believe you want to marry me. Yes. My answer is—“ His lips slam against mine before I can say ‘yes’ again. He devours me like a man starved, and it takes my breath away.
“Yes,” I gasp. His smile beams, and his eyes warm my center like hot honey. “Yes, Lachlan, a thousand times, yes!” I say against his lips.
He leans his forehead against mine and sighs with his arms around me. “I think it’s time to let go of your lease, then,” he suggests. I nod against him.
“I was already looking for someone to take over. I talked to Joshua, and he said not to worry about it.”
Lachlan looks at me, confused. “He never needed a roommate. I guess he is actually loaded, and figured he might as well have one. I also found out that he had been supplementing my rent the whole time. I was not happy when he told me because we made a deal where I would give him my part, and then he would pay it all. Well, he was covering for me since the beginning.” Lachlan’s face goes cold, and I can see the green monster in his eyes. I rub the back of his neck and shake my head, laughing silently. “It wasn’t like that. He knew I needed help, and he was doing exactly that. It was never like that, Lach. He’s a good man.”
